I loved the gothic dark fantasy world of Erin A. Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows, and I cannot believe it has taken me over two years to pick up the second book in the Sisters of Salt series, House of Roots and Ruin. This YA fantasy feels so lush and haunting, and even as someone who is slowly phasing out of YA fantasy, I cannot let this go without a serious moment to praise its wonders.

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed. Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia. When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it. Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance…blossoms. But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade.

The immersion into the story world is immediate, not only in terms of rich description of the setting, but the atmosphere and tone of the novel hooks the reader in within the first chapter. As the story builds and the characters are fleshed out more, the plot picking up and throwing in some curveballs here and there, the gothic elements really come through in the writing, and the number of times I found myself smiling because of the perfectly placed revelations and slight horror details is more than I can count on two hands.

Verity is one of those characters that you know is going to be a little naive given her background and upbringing, but she is still strong and smart, making her an enjoyable protagonist to follow. How she sees things in the great big world around her not only feels familiar in the artist sense, but in a slightly sombre way of someone who has been cooped up for so long in one space, and is only just seeing the breadth of things life has to offer. This growing into herself and the life she chooses to have paired with the romantic threads it makes for a lovely character growth moment. But there add in all the gothic horror thriller stuff and you are taken for a very wild ride.

I genuinely love her writing style so much, the focus and precision she puts into her detail and plot layers, and the tone and atmosphere of the works. The Sister of the Salt series is so good! I think it is perfect for the YA readers who still want that familiar story structure and characters but want something darker, more detailed, more complex, and a touch scarier. There is still a great beauty and draw-in with her works, and I could see myself rereading these books every autumn. They are such compelling stories and the vibes are immaculate.